From Fantasy to Reality
by Shadowclanwarrior
Summary: After surviving the dreaded events of Battle City and wrath of Yami Marik, Yu-Gi-Oh fangirl Roxanne Thorndyke must face up to her mistakes of the past as she fights to keep the Yu-Gi-Oh world from falling apart. With her knowledge of the future becoming tainted by changed events, will she have the courage to act when it is needed the most or fall to the hands of her own demise?
1. I: The Start of a New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

**Well, here it is everyone! After God knows how long the wait has been, I finally have From Dream to Nightmare's long awaited sequel! Why did it take so long you all may be asking? Well, in a nutshell, life happened and I wanted to make sure I had a good long break before write another extremely long fanfic. But now that I am back, I'm very eager to continue Roxanne's story, and this time finish it for good!**

**Although if you haven't by chance read the original fanfic, I highly recommend reading that one first before you look at this one. I will have the link to the first story at the end of this author's note, so it will be easy access to you.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy the first chapter and please review!**

**Link to first story: www. fanfiction . net s/ 8035256/1/From-Dream-to-Nightmare**

* * *

"In a promptly five minutes, Alcatraz Island will self destruct!"

Everyone froze in the middle of their celebration as Roland came running onto the blimp. Jonouchi's face paled dramatically.

"What?!" he exclaimed, shocked. "What do you mean the island is going to explode?!"

"Mr. Kaiba had set this island to explode the moment Battle City was over," Roland explained, sounding surprisingly calm. "Is everyone aboard the blimp so that we may take off?"

Everyone gave multiple silent responses, Jonouchi looking like he was going to strangle Roland while Yugi, Ryo, Honda, Anzu, Ryuji, and Shizuka stared at him wide-eyed, their faces paling. Mai blinked a couple of times while Marik, Rishid, and Ishizu didn't show much of a reaction. As for myself, I couldn't help but smile a bit, for I had to admit, the reactions were priceless. When no one made a verbal response, Roland said, "Alright, I assume then we are all ready to take off."

"But wait, what about the Kaiba brothers?" Yugi questioned. "We need to wait for them!"

"No need to worry," Roland answered as he walked right passed us, not even bothering to make eye contact. "He and Mokuba have their own private jet, they will get off safely."

And with that, he disappeared into the elevator. There was a short silence, everyone still in shocked by the moment.

"...So, would it make things better if I said that Kaiba was escaping from Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet?" I finally said with a sheepish smile. "You know, to add more to his dragon fetish..."

Jonouchi face palmed.

"_Not_ really helping, Roxanne."

I gave a nervous laugh.

"Well, I tried. But hey, look on the bright side, Battle City is over and all the danger is gone."

Anzu nodded.

"Yeah. With Melvin gone, we have nothing else to worry about."

She turned her gentle blue gaze to Marik.

"I'm glad you are alright, Marik. We were all very worry about you."

Marik gave a small smile.

"I appreciate it. Though I know what I did was..."

"It's alright, dude," Honda replied before Marik could finish. "We've all been through tough times and it is in the past. We just need to learn from it and keep moving forward."

Everyone else nodded in agreement, and though Marik smiled, I could still see some uncertainty in his violet eyes.

"Though, if this island is going to explode," Ryuji said. "It would definitely be an experience I wouldn't want to miss. I mean, how many times do you get see a man made island blow up?"

"You have a point," Jonouchi added. "Though, I'm still going to kill Kaiba for this. I mean, is he _that_ crazy?!"

"I think we already have the answer to that," Mai replied with a small smile.

Everyone laughed, the majority of the gang going up to the elevator to watch. The only ones who did not go up was myself and the Ishtar family. I was curious to see what the Ishtars were now going to do, since Melvin was out of the picture and Marik was finally free. Were they going to go back to Egypt or hang out a for a little while? A part of me hoped they would stay, for I wanted to spend more time with Marik. And also to...define where our relationship was at now, since Bakura was in the picture. I felt my heart cringed as I thought back to all that tension the three of us had, the big fights we had as I was the one who played with their emotions. Trying to put that thought in the back of my mind, I approached the Ishtar siblings.

"So, what do you three plan on doing now that you are reunited?" I asked.

"We are not exactly sure," Marik answered. "I guess we are most likely going to go back to Egypt and be a family again, a normal one for once."

He looked up at Ishizu and Rishid, who gave simple nods.

"However, if the Pharaoh wishes us to remain by his side to fulfill his destiny, then we will stay in Domino City for a while longer," Ishizu said. "But of course, he has you, so he may not need us."

I gave a shaky smile.

"I...will do my best, but it wouldn't hurt to have you guys around."

"Yes," Marik replied. "And I...hope that we get to spend more time together, Roxanne."

He gently ran his tanned fingers through my long brown hair.

"After all, I have to make up to you for what I have done."

I felt my face grow hot and gave a small nod. I noticed a dark look flash in Ishizu's eyes. But before she could speak, Rishid said, "Though either way, we will be staying in Domino City for a while, at least until we can get a plane ride back home."

"...That's good," I said. "Maybe you guys can have a bit of a family vacation or something."

Rishid smiled in reply, clearly liking that idea.

With that said, I left the Ishtars so they could spend some close family quality time with each other. It was really great to see them all back together, for they really have been through a lot. A chance for them to have a normal life would be great.

_However...the danger is far from over._

I remembered back to when I accoutered Dartz in the Shadow Realm, when he said that there was more to the Seal of Orichalcos than what I had already knew from the anime. Yami Marik was ten times worse than what he was from the show and manga, which made me fear for what worse I could expect from Dartz. And then there was Valon, Alister, and Rafael to worry about as well.

I sighed heavily as I went up to my room I shared with Mai and Anzu. I expected it to be empty, so I could rest and have a moment to myself and could think things through, but to my surprise, I saw that Shadi was there waiting for me. I gasped as Shadi's cold gray eyes met my hazel ones, it taking all of my self-control not the cry out. But unlike my other encounters with the creepy Egyptian, I got a hold of my emotions pretty quickly. Silently, I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me, staring deeply into Shadi's eyes. I felt my throat get clogged up, tears threatening to form in my eyes.

"Shadi...I..."

I didn't know what to say, I didn't know how I was going to apologize for ignoring all of his warnings. But luckily I didn't have to, for Shadi seemed to understand everything perfectly.

"I can see from the look in your eyes that you have truly realized what you have done," Shadi said, sounding as emotionless as ever. "And for that, I am glad to see."

I avoided eye contact, my guilt piling up further.

"...I'm sorry, Shadi," I said softly. "I'm so sorry that I didn't listen to you. That I was too blinded by my fangirl selfishness to see what kind of harm I would potentially make. I'm sorry for...blaming you for all that had happened."

There was a short silence. I didn't bother to look up to see what Shadi's reaction was, for I was too afraid to find out. But when I did not hear him say anything, I faintly said, "But now it is too late for me to just simply turn my back and leave my friends in the mess I created for them. I have to stay long enough to stop Dartz."

"And indeed you must."

I glanced up at Shadi, blinking a couple of times.

_Did I...hear him right?_

"Even if you were to go back, you have already made yourself too well known in this world," Shadi explained, his dark face extremely grim. "If I were to send you back now, you would just be brought back by Dartz so that he can continue to mess up fate through you. It is not like back when you first told me about you, where you had made less of an impact on the world and could have been easily taken out."

His eyes darkened.

"Though now I have to believe that even if I had brought you back to your own world back then, you would have still been forced to come back, since Dartz had been watching over you for so long."

I stared at Shadi.

"Wait...so did you know about Dartz all along?" I questioned, slightly puzzled.

Shadi shook his head.

"No, only after did he started to interfere in Battle City did I become aware of him. He had kept his presence well hidden, so well that I doubt any of us would have noticed him until he made the first move."

He paused.

"...And now that he has revealed himself, it can only mean that he had a special plan, and through you, Roxanne, can he only accomplish it."

"...Yeah, I figured," I said softly, a bad feeling forming in my stomach. "So, if you don't want me to go back home, what should I do to make sure I stop him?"

"As much as I hate to do it," Shadi answered, "your best option is to stay close to Yugi and the Pharaoh and let the Walking with Dragons arc of your anime play out. Unfortunately, it will already have vast changes within it, so you must be on your guard. Try to interfere as less as you can, even at the most crucial of moments, for one more change from you could give Dartz another advantage."

"But what if not interfering is what he wants?" I questioned. "A lot of horrible things are going to happen in this arc...I cannot just sit by and allow them all to happen!"

"And unless you want to repeat the same mistakes you made in Duelist Kingdom and Battle City, I suggest you get use to the idea," Shadi countered coldly.

I narrowed my eyes. I wanted to come up with a reply, but I force myself to keep silent. Images of Pegasus's suicide and the chaos Melvin caused played back in my mind. I clutched my fists tightly, for I couldn't afford another thing to go wrong because of me.

_For what could happen if I did the wrong thing in Dartz's mission to collect souls?_

While I was deep in thought, I did not notice Shadi coming closer to me. I flinched back when I finally noticed him right in front of me, me looking up to meet his gaze. And, to my shock, I found a tiny fragment of sympathy in them.

"Learn from your mistakes, but do not let them weigh you down," Shadi advised. "Be strong and learn when it is the time to step in and the time to step down."

Not even waiting for my reply, Shadi walked right passed me and opened the door, leaving the room as it shut behind him.

For a long moment, I stood in the middle of the quiet bedroom, deep within my own thoughts. Though I was scared of messing up, of causing events to become worse, I vowed to myself that I would not let Dartz win. I would not give up and run away from it all, nor would I give in and blind myself from the truth. I will stay and guide from afar, and no matter what, I will find a way to beat him at his own game!


	2. II: Confrontion

When I finally arrived back home at the Kame Game Shop, I felt a strong sense of security swept over me. I was home, I was some place safe after the hell that was Battle City.

"Grandpa, we are home!" Yugi called out as he and I stepped further into the store. "Grandpa?"

"Yugi, is that you?"

From the back of the shop, Sugoroku Mutou came out. His old violet eyes glowed slightly at the sight of Yugi and I.

"Yugi, Roxanne, I'm glad to see you two!" Sugoroku said with a smile. "How was the tournament? Did either of you get very far?"

"It was...very challenging," Yugi answered hesitantly. "But I bet you will be happy to hear that I won it. And I got the three Egyptian god cards."

Sugoroku gasped.

"Yugi...by God, that is fantastic!"

He approached Yugi and gave him a huge hug.

"I'm so proud of you! I've always known you would make a great duelist!"

He looked at him straight in the eye. Yugi gave a small smile.

"Thank you, Grandpa. That means a lot."

Sugoroku smiled in reply. He then turned his attention towards me.

"And what about you, Roxanne?" he asked curiously. "How far did you get, were you able to duel Yugi?"

I gave a shaky smile.

"I...honestly didn't get that far. I was beaten before the semi finals even began, so I didn't get the chance to duel Yugi."

I laughed.

"And it might have been because I joined the tournament the moment I got out of the hospital from the Black Crown fire..."

Sugoroku nodded.

"Maybe. It was a bit foolish of you to just run off on your own like that, for I was nearly scared to death when I found out. But a duelist's nature is a duelist's nature..."

He gave a small sigh, but his cheerful smile quickly returned.

"But you two must be exhausted from your duels. Go ahead and go upstairs and rest. I'll let you know when lunch is ready."

He then left to go to the back of the shop. Yugi and I went up the stairs to our bedrooms, and I was about to enter my room when Yugi stopped me.

"Hey Roxanne, do you mind if we talk to you for a moment?" he asked in a low voice. "Me and the Pharaoh?"

I blinked, wondering what either Yugi or the Pharaoh would want to talk about. I nodded.

"Sure, I don't mind."

Yugi gave a small smile and we then entered his bedroom. I closed the door behind me, and once we were alone, Yugi's face turned grim.

"We never got a chance to talk after Battle City was over," Yugi said in a solemn tone. "And I was wondering if you were doing okay from your duel with Melvin."

I smiled.

"I appreciate the concern, Yugi," I replied. "I will admit, I am a bit tired than normal, but I am overall fine. I didn't have it as bad as Jonouchi or Ishizu."

"That's good, I guess," Yugi said. "It was one tough tournament."

"Indeed, it was."

There was a long silence.

"...But there is something worse coming up, isn't there?" Yugi asked in a soft voice. "There is something else out there that we have to face, something far worse."

"W-well..."

I cut myself off.

I stared at Yugi, a part of me debating if I should tell him the truth. That there was more to face, that this fight was far from over. That Dartz is coming, that _Zorc_ is coming. That I'm...actually not from this world. Shadi said to interfere as little as possible, but would telling Yugi, who should have known the truth from the very beginning, be interfering?

"...Roxanne, are you alright?"

I blinked as I realized that Yugi was giving me a concerned look. I looked deeply into his worried, innocent, caring eyes. I sighed heavily as I felt my throat start to get clogged up.

"...I will never fully understand how you allow me to be your friend," I said softly. "After all the terrible things I've done to you and everyone..."

I avoided looking at Yugi, because I knew I couldn't face up to his confused, worried look. I clutched my fists tightly.

"...I've been lying to you all this time, Yugi. You think you know me, but you know absolutely nothing. I have been _deluding_ you, Yugi! Ever since you first met me wandering the streets."

I paused for a moment so that I don't start crying. But that doesn't stop from my voice cracking.

"I was never a runaway from the U.S coming to Japan to form a new life, I never lost any money when I first came here. I'm not even psychic or was shunned because of it! I was shunned because I was an obsessive fangirl over an anime, and anime simply known as Yu-Gi-Oh. And that obsession took its peak when I was sucked into that world on my fifteenth birthday. And I met its protagonist and used him to make my fantasy become real. Yugi, that protagonist was _you_, and I've _used_ you to get what I wanted!"

I quickly rubbed my eyes of any sort of tears that might have formed.

"I'm sorry, Yugi! I'm so sorry that I used you, I'm so sorry that I caused things to become worse for you and everyone else! I'm sorry...for _being_ a fangirl!"

There was a long paused, the sound of me gasping for air so that I didn't cry. I closed my eyes tightly, not wanting to see Yugi's face. I could picture myself looking extremely pathetic, and really, I deserved this humiliation.

Suddenly, I felt Yugi put his arms around me, giving me a comforting hug. My eyes shot wide open, completely shocked at his action.

"...Roxanne, it's okay," Yugi said gently. "Don't be so harsh on yourself. It is not your fault."

"B-but-"

"Roxanne, I'm not that naïve," Yugi said, cutting me off. "I've always knew that there was more to it than what you've told me. Though I had no idea it was something like this..."

He took a step back and met my gaze, giving me a gentle smile.

"I don't like it that you lied to me, but I don't hate you for it. You are a good person, Roxanne, that I know for sure. You sacrificed yourself, put yourself in mortal danger multiple times, just for me and our friends' sake. If that doesn't prove that our friendship is strong, I don't know what will."

I stared at Yugi, completely overwhelmed by his words of forgiveness. Forgiveness that I didn't deserve! I...was completely speechless, but also thankful.

"...You are a great person, Yugi," I was finally able to say. "I cannot begin to tell you how much I value our friendship..."

Yugi smiled.

"I treasure it as well. So, for real this time, let's not keep anymore big secrets from each other."

I nodded my head slowly.

"Y-yes. However...I will have to keep silent on my details of the future, for the greater good."

"I understand that," Yugi replied. "But I meant nothing that would divide us, that we will now work together to get through this."

He raised his hand towards me. "Promise?"

I stared at his hand for a long moment, feeling a bit hesitant to accept it. For what if I found a way to break it? But, even through all my 'what ifs,' I ultimately took his hand and shook it firmly. I could not lose Yugi, the Pharaoh, out of everyone...

Yugi smiled.

"Now it is time for the Pharaoh to have his turn. We will talk later, Roxanne."

I nodded in reply. Closing his eyes, the Millennium Puzzle glowed bright gold and Atem took Yugi's place. Atem opened his dark violet eyes.

"I'm glad you finally told Yugi the whole truth," he said with a small smile. "It was something that should have been settled long ago, but now is taken care of."

I sighed.

"I know...but don't expect me to tell _everyone_ the full truth. I can't..."

"Not everyone has to know," Atem replied. "At least not until the moment is right. For I know it is dangerous to know what is _truly_ going on."

He paused for a moment.

"And that danger is not far, is it?"

I glanced over to the wall.

"...Yes and no," I said. "I don't know how soon the next threat will come, but I know who it is and I...have an idea what we are up against. However, there is one problem..."

Atem raised an eyebrow. "And what is that?"

Taking a heavy breath, I quickly gave a brief explanation about what Shadi told me back on the blimp, and though I know who we were going to fight, I didn't want to say who, worrying that I might change something by giving Atem, and even Yugi, too much extra information. Atem seemed to understand, and I had no doubt Yugi did as well. When I was done, Atem gave a thoughtful look.

"...I see," he said. "So basically all we can do is be on our guard and wait for the villains to show themselves."

"Yes," I replied. "And I will warn you and try my best to help you in any way I can. I just...don't want to screw up like I have been doing and make things worse..."

"I understand, Roxanne," Atem commented. "However, sometimes it cannot be helped. You can't live in fear."

"I'm..."

I didn't bother to finish my sentence. I heard Atem let out a heavy sigh, his expression totally unreadable. I felt my heart skip a beat, for I was scared to know what he was thinking, what he was thinking about me.

"...I'm sorry to stress you out like this," Atem finally said. "But thanks for having this talk with me and Yugi."

I blinked.

"I...you're welcome."

I forced myself to smile.

"I'm so glad I can rely on you two. I promise that I won't let you down. I'm with you till the end."

Atem smiled back.

"I know you are."

With that said, I left his and Yugi's room and went to my own. Once I was all by myself, I sat my duel disk and deck to the side and laid down on my bed. As I did, I felt my phone in my pocket vibrate. I took out my phone and saw that I got a text from Anzu.

It said:_ Hey Roxanne :)! I got a call from Mai earlier saying that she is going to be spending a few days here in Domino City before she leaves for another Duel Monsters Tournament. She said that she wanted to have a girls' day out with us and Shizuka tomorrow afternoon since we had all that crap from Battle City. I think we are going to meet at the mall around 2:00. Hope you can come!_

I stared at the text. Huh, spending a day with Anzu, Mai, and Shizuka sounded like fun. It's been awhile since I did anything really girly, since I've been focusing on dueling with the guys. I smiled to myself. Just a day to hang out with my friends, a relaxing event that I really did need.


	3. III: A Threat from Two Realities

Around two the next day, I went over to the mall to meet up with Mai and the others. I was the last to arrive, and already, everyone was planning out what we should do for the afternoon. Surprisingly, we did not spend that much time at the mall, as neither Mai, Anzu, nor myself was really into all the clothing stores that made up most of it. Shizuka, however, did do a good amount of shopping there, and she got many really cute outfits, from summer dresses to simple t-shirts. Mai bought a few things as well, and Anzu and I saw the occasional shirt or pair of jeans that we liked.

After the mall, we all decided to go to the arcade and played a few games. Anzu was on fire on the dancing games, horribly beating anyone who dared challenged her. Mai moved from game to game, not really sticking to any specific one, getting a lot of high scores. I mostly focused my attention on the classic, but still very fun game, Pac-Man, and getting surprisingly really far. Shizuka wandered between the three of us, not really being a gamer, but still enjoying herself nevertheless.

After about an hour of being at the arcade, we all decided to end the day at a nearby café and just hang out. We were all sitting outside on the patio, the four of us each having a our own cappuccino as we chatted and watched the sun slowly start to set. Mai let out a heavy sigh.

"You know, I'll be honest, this is the first time I've really tried to make friends while I'm at one of these tournaments," she said as she took a sip of her cappuccino. "And I will admit, it is kind of nice. I've never really had a close group of friends before."

Shizuka smiled.

"Life is always a lot better if you have a bunch of people you love around you. You can't always do everything on your own, you know."

Mai gave a soft chuckle.

"About a month ago, I would have laughed in your face for saying something like that. But...maybe there is a bit of truth to it."

I nodded in reply, for I understood perfectly what she meant.

"So, Mai, where is the next duel monsters tournament that you are going to enter?" Anzu asked. "I mean, if you know."

Mai casually shrugged her shoulders.

"As of right now, no. I mean, duel monsters tournaments are popular, but they rarely ever get as much advertisement as Battle City did. Though usually they take place in big cities like Domino City, so I'll probably head to one of them first."

Anzu nodded.

"I see. And once you get to another city you'll look for advertisements or signups for a tournament?"

"Basically," Mai answered. "I just wander around until I find something interesting."

"That sounds like fun," I commented. "I wish my life was that simple to where I can just go where ever I wanted until something caught my interest."

Mai smiled and laughed.

"Well, I never said it was _that_ easy! But it can seem that way, and it is not a bad way to live."

I smiled back.

"Yeah, just make sure you give one of us a call if you enter a tournament. Or just keep us updated on stuff so we don't lose contact."

Mai nodded.

"And I plan on doing that, though don't expect me to call _all_ the time. I've already got everyone's number, though surprisingly, I don't have yours, Roxanne."

I blinked.

Wow, I've been so busy with everyone else that I never thought twice about getting Mai's number. I kind of felt a bit guilty about ignoring Mai, but I guess this was my time to redeem myself.

_And keeping in touch with her would be good, in case Dartz tries to convert her to join him._

I smiled.

"I'm sorry about that," I said. "With everything happening...it just never crossed my mind."

Mai nodded.

"It is understandable, with what happened. And it wasn't like I was the most sociable back in Duelist Kingdom."

"Though you did save Roxanne and I from sleeping with the guys, which was a blessing," Anzu added jokingly.

Mai and I laughed, while Shizuka gave a puzzled look.

"Is that a bad thing? Do all of them snore as bad as my brother?" she asked innocently.

I couldn't help but smirk at that comment. As Anzu tried to explain what she meant, I reached into my pocket to grab my cell phone. But before I could get a hold of it, I felt it started to vibrate and ring. Wondering who it could be, I took it out and saw it was a call coming from Ryo.

_I wonder what Ryo could want that he couldn't text me about? _

"Sorry Mai, but I need to take this call real quick," I said causally. "I'll be right back."

"Okay, no problem," she replied. "I'm in no hurry."

Nodding in reply, I got up from the table and I walked towards the little, quiet alleyway next to the café. I then answered the phone.

"Hello?"

_"Roxanne, where are you?!"_ Bakura suddenly exclaimed, almost sounding like he was ready either to panic or about to rip someone's throat out. _"Are you alright?! No one has tried to hurt you!?"_

My eyes widened.

"Bakura, what are you talking about?!" I questioned, shocked to hear his voice instead of Ryo's. "Nothing bad has happened to me."

My heart skipped a beat.

"...Has something happened to you or any of the others?"

I could hear sigh of relief on the other side of the line.

_"Thank the Gods,"_ Bakura finally said. _"That bastard better think _twice_ before he tries to kidnap you!"_

"'Kidnap me?'" This just kept getting worse and worse. "Bakura, _what_ is going on?!"

_"While Ryo was checking his email, he came across a very suspicious email from an unknown source,"_ Bakura explained. _"And what made it even more suspicious was that it wasn't addressed to him, but to _me_."_

I blinked.

"...How could it possibly be addressed to you?" I asked puzzled.

_"I don't know, but on the subject line it said 'Note for Yami Bakura.' Ryo panicked at the sight of it, but I quickly took control so I could handle it. I opened the email and saw that it was a threat. A threat to kidnap you, Roxanne, and if I didn't comply to give them the Egyptian God Cards, they would torture you."_

I was silent for a second. There was no doubt about it, that note had to come from Dartz! I knew he wanted the Egyptian God Cards, but _why_ get Bakura to do it? In the anime, he just sent that one guy to steal them and then give them to Rafael and the others. It didn't make any sense.

"Bakura," I finally said in a soft voice, "tell me, did the email mention who it was from? Was it from a certain organization called DOMA?"

_"'DOMA?'"_

I could clearly hear the puzzlement in his voice.

_"No, but the bastard was indeed stupid enough to tell me his name,_" Bakura finally answered. "_It said that his name was Yako Tenma."_

I felt like my heart just stopped in my chest. I leaned against the wall of the alleyway, my legs shaking as used all my strength to not drop my phone.

Oh...my...God...

No, this can't be happening! This _can't_ be happening! How...how could we be in the Walking with Dragons arc from the anime and also have Yako from the manga spin off, Yu-Gi-Oh R?!


	4. IV: Here Comes Evil

"_Ahhhh_!"

A loud scream pierced my ears as my mind was forced back to the present. I felt cold hard sweat fall down my face as a million things went through my mind at once.

_"Roxanne, what is going on?!"_ I heard Bakura demand on the other line. _"Did I just hear someone scream?"_

"...I-I'll have to call you back, Bakura!"

_"Rox-"_

I hung up before he had the chance to argue. Quickly putting my phone back in my pocket, I rushed out of the alleyway. I gasped to see that the café was in a total mess, people screaming and taking cover. In the sky, a giant black orb floated above the city, blocking out any remaining sunlight that was left. My eyes grew wide as I stared at it, people pushing and shoving pass me as they tried to get away.

No...it can't be!

"Roxanne!"

In the crowd, I saw that Mai, with Shizuka close to her, were running towards me.

"Shizuka, Mai!" I exclaimed, relived to see them unharmed. "Are you guys alright?"

"Barely," Mai said, panting heavily. "I was able to get Shizuka away at the last minute but..."

She looked over her shoulder, a worried and angry look in her violet eyes. I looked over towards where Mai was staring at. In the middle of the street, I saw none other than Yako Tenma, holding Anzu tightly in his arms as he held a gun to her head. He was standing right underneath the shadow of the black orb, the evil monster that was Wicked Avatar, his figure almost completely hidden in the dark.

"That's it, get back!" Yako shouted at the top of his lungs. "If you don't want to see this girl dead, you will keep your distance!"

Anzu struggled, screaming as she tried to get herself free, but Yako's grip was far too tight. Shizuka trembled in horror as she took to Mai for comfort, as Mai and I stood with the few remaining people who were witnessing the scene. I tried to get a good look at Yako's face, but it was too dark to make anything out.

"If you want this girl released, then you have to do what I say!" Yako exclaimed when everyone was at a good distance from him. "If you want this girl back, you will trade me for her with another girl by the name of Roxanne Thorndyke!"

I gasped. Everyone became stiff.

"...Roxanne, why would that man want you?" Shizuka asked in a small voice.

I said nothing in reply.

Yako was now trying to pull off that threat he had given Bakura, and he was planning to use me to get to Atem and the God Cards. My first instinct was to go straight forward and demand for him to let go of Anzu, and if it wasn't for Shadi's warning of being cautious in my actions, I probably would have done so. But I also had to think about Mai and Shizuka, Bakura, Atem and the others. I could not afford to make a ruthless mistake, not like last time. But I did not want Anzu to get hurt.

"...Mai, do you have any ideas on how we could get Anzu out of this?" I muttered for only her and Shizuka to hear. "I can't just show myself and have that lunatic hurt Anzu."

Mai narrowed her eyes.

"I'll see what I can do. Just make sure you and Shizuka stay safe."

She then without another word gently pushed Shizuka to the side and stepped out of the thin coward, going straight at Yako. Shizuka started to call her out, but I held her back, telling her that we needed to keep quiet and be ready for whatever happens.

_I just hope he doesn't try to do something to Mai with Wicked Avatar. Without her duel disk, she is completely defenseless against it!_

"I don't know who you think you are, you bastard," Mai shouted. "But let her go or I will make you regret it!"

"Mai!" Anzu cried out.

It took awhile for Yako to reply, as he slowly moved closer to her.

"You are in no position to be making threats," Yako said. "If you dare try to attack me, Wicked Avatar will kill you instantly."

Mai gave a cruel laugh.

"Kill me? It is _obviously _a duel monsters hologram!"

She took a single step closer.

"Just who do you think you are fooling?"

And another step, and another step. I could just picture anger flaring in Yako's eyes.

_ Mai... _

"It is no hologram, Mai Kujaku," Yako replied in a dark tone of voice. "If you will stop testing my patience, you won't have to feel its wrath."

I could imagine a look mixed between amusement and anger on Mai's face.

"What a bullshit statement! Now just tell me who-"

She was cut off as the sun's light grew dimmer and dimmer. With many people shrieking in fear, Wicked Avatar slowly started to change its form, transforming into a black version of Slifer the Sky Dragon.

_Oh Ra..._

I felt Shizuka move closer to me and I put my arm protectively around her.

"It is going to be alright, Shizuka," I said softly, trying my best to comfort her. "Everything is going to be..."

Yako gave a slightly mad laugh.

"Do you still underestimate its power?"

Wicked Avatar slowly slithered itself closer to Mai, where it breathed out hot air onto her. Mai stood with pure terror, totally speechless.

"Since you all won't reveal to me where Roxanne Thorndyke is," Yako cried out to everyone. "You now have _two_ hostages to think about! If you do not bring me Miss Thorndyke within twenty-four hours to the entrance of Kaiba Corp, _consider these girls as good as dead_!"

With a loud roar from Wicked Avatar, it used one of its mighty claws to pick up Mai where she stood. Mai screamed at the top of her lungs, desperate to escape. In its other claw hand, it picked up Yako and Anzu. Flying up into the air, Wicked Avatar left Domino City.

I stared up at the now full night sky, my face becoming ghostly pale as I held Shizuka tightly. I needed to act, and fast!

* * *

Calling everyone on my cell phone, I desperately told everyone what happened and to meet me at the Domino City harbor, which was the closest location for Shizuka and I. Jonouchi was the first to arrive, as he was desperate to reunite with his sister, and was soon followed by Honda, Bakura, Atem, Ryuji, and Marik.

"Katsuya!" Shizuka cried out as she ran into her brother's arms.

Jonouchi held her close.

"Shizuka..."

He looked up at me.

"The bastard didn't hurt my sister, did he?"

I shook my head.

"No, as far as I know. He just got a hold of Anzu, and then Mai."

Jonouchi tightened his grip on Shizuka.

"_Bastard_..."

He shook with rage.

"What are we going to do?" Honda asked to no one in particular. "This Yako guy just kidnapped Anzu and Mai and has a giant monster on the loose! Not to mention he doesn't sound like the most stable of people..."

"Yeah, we need to think of something fast," Ryuji said in agreement. "But what exactly does he want, and why kidnap the girls?"

"Obviously to get to Roxanne so he can use her psychic powers!" Bakura snapped. "It was pure luck that I was able to contact her before he could reach her and only get to them!"

"Wait, are you saying it is a _good_ thing that Anzu and Mai got captured?!" Ryuji questioned, narrowing his bright green eyes.

Bakura crossed his arms.

"Better them then Roxanne."

"Hey, that is not cool!" Honda shouted.

"Stop arguing, you guys!" Jonouchi cried. "You're not making it any better by shouting at each other!"

"Jonouchi is right," Marik said. "We need to stay calm and think this through."

Bakura glared at him.

"Easier said than done."

There was a short silence.

"...So what should we do?" I finally asked, to no one in particular. "There's got to be a way to get them back peacefully."

"Like what?" Ryuji asked.

"Uh...well, I could distract him long enough for you to capture him and get some answers," I answered, saying the first thing that came to my head.

"And what if he takes you right in front of the doorstep of Kaiba Corp?" Bakura questioned. "There are too many things that can go wrong for that to work."

"I know this sounds impossible," Honda added, "but maybe we should let Kaiba know, since Yako wants to meet at his company's headquarters? I'm sure Kaiba, though the jerk he is, can do something about it."

"I highly doubt he would lend us a hand," Jonouchi growled. "And with the short time we have..."

"But we may have little choice," Atem reasoned. "We have few options, and even if the probability of succeeding is small, it is still better than nothing."

Marik nodded in agreement.

"The Pharaoh is right. We must act quickly."

He then turned towards me.

"Roxanne, can you tell us anything more about this guy?" he asked. "Can your powers predict any of his future moves?"

I was silent for a long moment, everyone's eyes on me. I let out a heavy sigh.

"I...don't know. I honestly have no idea what's going to happen."

And it was true. With both Yako and Dartz...anything from either arcs could happen and at any time. Anzu, who was captured in Yu-Gi-Oh R, and Mai, who was brainwashed in the Walking with Dragons, were both gone and either one of them could be used against us. Saving them, especially Mai, was going to be difficult.

_But there is one thing that I'm not sure about, and that is _how_ Yako knew about me._

Like with Melvin, was Dartz in an alliance with Yako, promising to return Pegasus back from the dead if Yako got a hold of me? And if they were...what exactly could Dartz being using Yako for the bigger part of his plan?

"Roxanne?"

Hearing Atem's voice made me snap out of my thoughts. I looked up to meet everyone's worried expressions. I moved my gaze downward.

"Though maybe not as dangerous as Melvin, Yako should not be taken lightly," I finally said. "Let's go with Honda's idea and see if we can get Kaiba's help tomorrow. If we can, we may have a chance of rescuing Mai and Anzu effectively. If not..."

I did not dare finish my sentence.

"It seems to be out best option," Atem said. "Let us all meet up at Kaiba Corp's headquarters as soon as we can tomorrow morning. And if anything happens before then, we should all keep in close contact."

"Sounds like a plan," Jonouchi replied, holding Shizuka close. "No matter what happens, we will get Anzu and Mai back!"

I clutched my fists.

_But at what cost?_


	5. V: Nagotiations with Allies and Enemies

_"Your friends have a lot of confidence in you and this plan,"_ a smooth voice said, delicately hitting my ears. _"Too bad that confidence will ultimately be destroyed by the end."_

My eyes shot wide opened as I heard Dartz's voice. Instead of finding myself lying in my bed, I was laying on the cold hard ground of the Shadow Realm. I quickly sat up, my eyes staring right into Dartz's mismatched eyes.

"H-how?!"

Dartz smirked.

"Relax, Miss Thorndyke, you are not trapped in the Shadow Realm," he explained calmly. "I've only briefly brought your conscience so that I may give you one last chance to join me quietly."

I narrowed my eyes, quickly getting up to my feet and hiding any expression of fear I had.

"You're only wasting your time if you think I will join you," I growled. "My decision has not changed from Battle City and it never will!"

"Is that so?" Dartz replied, seemingly amused. "Even with Ms. Kujaku and Mazaki held captive?"

I clutched my fists.

"So you _are_ in an alliance with Yako!" I exclaimed. "Just what sick mind games have you played on him!?"

Dartz narrowed his eyes.

"If you think my 'sick mind games' are worse than what mind games you have done to the Pharaoh and the others, then you are sadly mistaken. I am no different then you when it comes to using others."

I said nothing in reply. Dartz gave a small smile at my silence.

"I am surprised that you didn't reveal yourself to save your friends when they were in danger by Wicked Avatar," he commented thoughtfully. "Has something accrued that I don't know of that made you be more cautious? Some mental scarring perhaps for what happened with Yami Marik?"

I glared at him but still kept silent. I...really had no comeback to give, even if his taunt infuriated me.

"But whatever the case may be," Dartz continued, "you still have the chance of ending this peacefully before things get out of hand. If you just come with Yako willingly then the others will be unharmed, and so would any future harm to the Pharaoh and his host."

I moved my gaze towards the ground.

"...Just what do you _want_ from me?" I asked in a small voice. "Why are you so different then what you were in the anime? How is it possible for you and Yako to be here from two different realities of the same story?"

A wicked look appeared in Dartz's eyes, a look that caused my blood to run cold.

"You really have changed, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed."

He turned his back on me.

"If you let this fear of changing the future take you over, I can promise you that nothing good will come out it. If you wish to fight back, then you have to act and not doubt. You are no longer a viewer watching this world's events unfold, but an actual member of it. A member who must do her part, who must make interactions."

As he talked, Dartz's image started to fade away, along with the rest of the Shadow Realm. I slowly felt my eyelids become heavy, like was about to be put to sleep.

_"Goodnight, Miss Thorndyke,"_ Dartz said, his voice sounding faint. _"And remember that one cannot hide from their fate forever."_

* * *

With Dartz's voice ringing in my ears, I slowly opened my eyes to find myself back in my bedroom, the silver lighting of the moon coming in through my window. I stared at the ceiling, thinking over and over about what Dartz said.

I never thought about myself actually becoming a Yu-Gi-Oh character, I never thought of myself as being just of equal standing as Yugi, Atem, or any of the others. I have experienced everything they have experienced, I have felt the same pain they felt, the same fears and joys…

If this was about a year ago, when I first woke up at Domino Pier, I would have been overjoyed. But now…I don't even know what to feel.

Turning to my side, I felt a small tear run down the side of my face. I feared for what tomorrow was to bring, I was scared for what was happening, and what would happen, to Mai and Anzu. I was intimidated by Yako and Dartz, and ultimately Zorc.

For once in my life, I was truly in a situation where I had no idea what do.

* * *

Early the next morning, the rest of the gang and I met up at the headquarters of Kaiba Corp in hopes of getting to speak with Kaiba. So far, there were no signs of Yako, making me wonder where he could be and what he was doing to Mai and Anzu. I was incredibly shaky, jumping at every little sound and fearing for the worse. Marik really took a notice to this, taking a hold of my hand and squeezing it to comfort me. He did it very subtly so that Bakura, even though Ryo was in control, wouldn't notice, which I was very grateful for. The last thing we needed was more drama, but I was glad for his support.

With Atem using his persuasive techniques, as well as his status on being the King of Games, he tried to convince the people at the front desks to arrange a meeting with Kaiba. Unfortunately, there were some difficulties involved.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to see Mr. Kaiba at the moment," the front desk woman said. "Another man is already in a personal meeting with Mr. Kaiba and I have no idea of when it will be done."

"But this is an emergency," Atem urged. "If you just tell Kaiba that Yugi Motou wants to speak with, he will see to us immediately."

"And just who is this person he is meeting up with anyway?" Honda asked. "Is he some CEO of another company trying to make a deal?"

The woman paused for a moment.

"I'm…not fully sure who he is. But he goes by the name of Tenma. Gekko Tenma."

My eyes widened. Without warning, I quickly made my way to the front of the group.

"If Gekko Tenma is seeing Seto Kaiba, then we _must _see them!" I exclaimed. "I don't care what's going on, but we need to be there now!"

The woman's eyes widened in shock.

"And just who do you think you are to make demands like that?" she questioned, sounding insulted.

"Uh…what she means," Ryuji said, pushing me back, "is that we also need to see Gekko Tenma as well as Kaiba. So it is even more important that we see them now, if you please."

He stared deeply into her eyes, giving her the same looks he would give the girls back at school when he wanted them to do something. A faint blush appeared on the woman's face as she leaned in back more into her chair, her blue eyes never leaving Ryuji's green ones.

"I…all right. I'll let Mr. Kaiba know that you are on the way, if it is that so important," she said, her voice becoming soft. "Just make your way to the top floor and go straight down the hallway to Kaiba's office. Now, off you go."

She quickly turned her attention back onto the computer. Without saying another word to each other, we all headed into the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. Once the doors closed and we were completely alone, Ryo said, "What was up with that, Roxanne? Do you know who this Gekko Tenma is?"

"I do," I answered. "He is the twin brother of Yako, who wants to bring his brother back from insanity. He must be here seeing Kaiba because he heard about Yako's threat."

"So he is on our side?" Jonouchi questioned, unconvinced. "How can you be for certain that he is?"

"We can't," Marik replied. "And whether or not he is on our side, he still has a connection to Yako, which means he is still worth talking to."

"You think I don't know that?" Jonouchi snapped. "I'm just saying is it right to trust him?"

"For finding Yako and getting back Mai and Anzu, then he is our best option," I said. "We need to get all the allies we can, for…"

I hesitated.

"…for there still is something worse out there then Yako."

"And just who would that be?" Atem asked.

My eyes grew dark.

"…Someone more psychotic and sinister. And there is a high chance Yako is working for him."

"Why would he be working with them?" Ryuji asked.

But before I could say any more, the doors to the elevator opened. Everyone grew silent, but I knew I would have to continue explaining myself once everything grew quiet. Quickly, we all made our way to Kaiba's office, where Atem opened the door. There, we saw Kaiba sitting at his desk with Mokuba at his side, talking to a man with long ice blue hair that came down just passed his shoulders with a dark jacket and white pants.

"Kaiba, you must listen to me!" Gekko begged, starting to sound hopeless. "My brother is about to do something terrible at _your front door step_! You must act before anyone else can get hurt and save those two girls!"

"Do I look like the police to you?" Kaiba demanded, sounding annoyed. "If you are so concern about this maniac, go to them, not me. I have far more important business to attend to."

Gekko tensed up, and just by seeing his back, I could tell he was on edge. Moving his gaze behind Gekko, Mokuba noticed that we were all standing at the opened door.

"Yugi, guys?!" Mokuba exclaimed. "What are you all doing here?"

At the mention of Yugi's name, both Kaiba and Gekko turned see us. As soon as he turned around, Gekko's light blue eyes met up with mine. His eyes widened at the sight of me, but it was Kaiba to make the first remark.

"Yugi, unless you intend on challenging me to a duel, you and your friends have no business here," he growled. "I've already lost to you at Battle City. I believe you can spare me the humiliation until I work up my strength."

"I'm not here to duel you, Kaiba," Atem said, taking a step into the room. "I'm here on the same matter about Yako Tenma."

He moved his gaze to Gekko.

"You are Gekko Tenma, Yako's twin brother, correct?"

A shocked look appeared on Gekko's face. But with meeting my gaze for a quick second, his expression calmed, in fact, it sort of looked relived.

"Then I hope you know that I'm trying to stop my brother before he does anymore harm," Gekko said. "I know I don't have the right to say this, but I am truly sorry for what happened to your friends."

"Yeah, you better be," I head Jonouchi mumble.

Luckily, Gekko did not hear it, or at least I think he didn't.

"I do not know all of what my brother is planning, but I do know he is working with a dangerous man," he continued, "and if we do not act quickly, something really bad is going to happen."

Gekko turned his attention towards me.

"Roxanne Thorndyke, I beg you not to turn yourself in to my brother in order to save your friends. I know you have…certain abilities, but I highly doubt that they will protect you if you let yourself get caught."

"I…know," I replied. "And that is why we are all here; to hopefully get Kaiba, and now you, to aid us on capturing Yako in order to rescue Mai and Anzu."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes.

"If you really think that I need to get involved with this lunatic-"

"If anything happens when Yako shows up, you do realize you will be held responsible for it?" Atem questioned. "That your reputation will be on the line if something disastrous was to happen? After all, you did lose your own tournament, do you really want to risk anymore of your pride?"

Everyone turned their attention onto Kaiba. Kaiba narrowed his eyes, seemingly caught in a corner. He looked down at Mokuba before giving a heavy sigh.

"You losers won't leave me alone if I don't help you out," he said with a growl. "I'll just do something to get you all out of my hair."

He leaned forward in his chair, setting his elbows down on the desk.

"So, _what_ exactly do you all plan to do?"


	6. VI: A Sacrifice Made

Late that night, around the time Yako was supposed to appear, the gang and I hid inside Kaiba Corp's lobby, as we all waited anxiously for Yako to appear. The whole building was locked up, as all the everyday workers had gone home under Kaiba's order. Outside the main entrance, he had ordered a ton of security guards to hide in the shadows and surround Yako if he ever decided to become hostile. After coming up with a plan, Kaiba said it was the best he could do, as he wanted little to do with the situation as possible.

As for the rest of it, we all had decided that Gekko would wait outside and see if he could persuade his brother to stop what he was doing, all under security cameras so that the rest of us could oversee the conversation. We hoped to either A, get Yako to join us, B, capture him and force him to reveal where Mai and Anzu are, along who he is working for, or C, get as much information as possible so that we can track him down before he escapes.

I _really_ hoped we didn't have to go with choice C.

As the hour of the moment drew near, it was as clear as day that we were all getting very nervous. Jonouchi would pace around the lobby, his eyes clouded with thought while Honda and Ryuji would get into small talk to get their mind off the situation. Kaiba, who refused to leave the building with us inside, typed on his laptop in one of the waiting room chairs, Mokuba right next to him. Atem would stare constantly at the security cameras, refusing to blink as he waited for something to happen. As for me, Marik, and Ryo, we stood beside one of the windows of the lobby, getting a perfect view of the outside where we would see the meeting with Yako and Gekko.

I stared at Gekko from the other side of the glass, wondering what was going through his mind and if he was just as nervous about this as we were. I never got the chance to privately talk with him yet, but I was very curious how he knew about me. Did Dartz try to convert Gekko to his side as well as Yako? It was possible, since he knew Yako was working with someone.

"Do you really think there is a chance that this will go as smoothly as we planned?" Marik suddenly asked. "Even with those guards Kaiba supported, it would still be dangerous for Gekko to be out there with nothing armed."

"But if we gave him a gun or something like that, wouldn't it alarm Yako?" Ryo questioned, leaning against the wall. "After all, we are trying to make sure this ends as peacefully as possible. For Anzu and Mai's sake."

Marik's eyes grew dark.

"And what's the likelihood of there being peaceful talk? I know...or at least I have an idea of what this guy may be thinking. And if he is willing to put in danger the lives of innocents just to get to one person..."

His voice trailed off, as if he was recalling terrible reasons. I gave him a sympathetic look.

"From what I know, I highly doubt Yako would try to purposely kill Gekko," I said, trying to lighten the mood. "He may feel some...harsh emotions towards him, but he wouldn't kill his brother on sight."

Ryo nodded.

"Even Gekko said the same thing. I'm sure he knows what he is doing, Marik. You don't need to worry so much."

Marik moved his gaze between me and Ryo. He let out a small sigh.

"I still expect the worse."

There was a long silence, the three of us looking out the window and watching Gekko's still figure.

"...Does Ishizu and Rishid know that you are here, Marik?" I asked. "The Pharaoh had to call his grandpa earlier to explain the situation, same with Jonouchi to Shizuka."

"I gave them a quick text," Marik answered. "Ishizu said that before she gave the Millennium Necklace to Yugi when we all left the blimp, she got a vision of something similar to this, though it never made any sense to her until now."

There was an awkward pause.

"...Also, she made mention of something," he continued, his voice growing softer. "Something about our...relationship."

I raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

Marik gave a nervous look.

"I mean...she doesn't improve of us...dating. Or about to start dating."

A slight blush appeared on my face, as I recalled Marik asking me to be his girlfriend before Melvin had taken over. With everything that had happened, we didn't have time to really think about it. But it really surprised me how Ishizu wouldn't approve of it. Why would she not want me to date her younger brother?

_"Now _that's_ interesting..."_

Both Marik and I tensed up as a faint glow came from underneath Ryo's shirt, showing that Bakura had taken control. His dark brown eyes gave an amused expression, a large smile across his face as he made eye contact with Marik.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who doesn't like you being around Roxanne," Bakura said. "Even your own _sister_ thinks you should back off!"

Marik narrowed his eyes.

"Mind your mouth, spirit," he said in a low voice. "This does not concern you."

Bakura smirked.

"And how would it not? _You_ were the one who tried to steal her from me!"

"How can I steal something that never was 'yours' to begin with?" Marik questioned. "It's not my fault that you failed to act before I made my move."

Bakura tensed up.

"Guys, stop it."

I got between them before either one of them could make a move. I made eye contact with both of them, having a small pain in my chest.

"Look...this isn't really the time to settle this," I said, trying to keep my voice down so that we wouldn't make a scene. "Once things calm down again, I will work something out. We cannot afford to get selfish right now."

There was a short silence.

"...Roxanne is right," Marik commented. "There are more important things to be concern about."

He moved his attention to me.

"I didn't mean to start a scene. I just thought I would let you know."

I nodded. "I understand. And I thank you for telling me."

Bakura growled, rolling his eyes slightly and crossing his arms.

"Guys, someone is approaching Gekko!"

Everyone froze at Atem's call. Quickly, the gang and Mokuba all gathered around Atem around the security cameras, Kaiba setting his laptop and calmly going to see what was going on. Marik, Bakura, and I stayed by the window, as we had a perfect live view. My eyes widened.

Instead of seeing Yako, I saw a tall bulky man with blonde hair with side burns and a cold hard face, one whose will would be hard to break. Gekko tensed up as Rafael, Dartz's strongest henchman, approached him. I felt the color drain from my face.

"Who is that?" Bakura asked. "That can't possibly be Yako. Why is this guy..."

He cut himself off as he saw the petrified look on my face.

"Roxanne?"

Both he and Marik looked concerned. I did not make any sort of reply to them, for I forced myself to keep my eyes on Rafael and Gekko.

Damn Dartz! He must have known that we would have tried to do something like this, so instead of having Yako come, he allowed one of his stronger henchmen to come out so that they won't be as easily persuaded!

_He's trying to corner me and force me to fall into his hands! _

From where I stood, I could see that Gekko and Rafael were in a deep conversation, no doubt trying to find a way to persuade the other. Rafael did not seem to look hostile, though he did have his duel disk on which worried me. My heart pounded in my chest, each second feeling like a century.

Suddenly, Gekko turned his back on Rafael and headed straight towards the building. Alarmed, I quickly made my way to the front door, and was soon followed by the others. Gekko quickly came inside, his face completely pale.

"What happened?" I asked.

Gekko took a minute to answer.

"...This man is here on behalf of my brother, and is willing to exchange each of the girls for a price," he said softly. "He said he will trade one of the girls for Roxanne and the other one for the Egyptian God cards."

We all, except Kaiba, gasped.

"They can't be serious!" Jonouchi exclaimed, his voice in a mix between anger and horror. "Does the bastard _really_ think we are willing to accept that?!"

"It is the only way they will compromise," Gekko reasoned. "At least peacefully."

A dark look appeared in his gaze.

"Though the man does not have a weapon, I do fear for what will happen to them if we don't surrender at least something."

"Are Anzu and Kujaku here with them?" Kaiba asked. "If not, I could order my guards to capture the lunatic and force him to reveal their location."

Gekko shook his head.

"I have not seen them, but if it is a trade he is negotiating, they are most likely here, along with a gun to their heads."

There was a long silence, as no matter what we tried to plan out, there would always be something that Rafael had over us.

If Kaiba ordered his men to attack Rafael, not only could he summon one of his monsters, but also hurt Mai and Anzu if they are nearby. If we hand over the Egyptian God cards, then either Mai or Anzu would be safe, but Dartz would be one step closer to bring back the Great Leviathan, with the other still captured. And if I go..._who_ knows what would happen!

_One way or another, we are going to lose something. _

"...The last thing we need to do is hand over the Egyptian God cards," Marik said. "It would be just like Battle City again if those cards got into the wrong hands. We cannot afford to lose them."

"I agree," Kaiba replied. "For only Yugi and myself are allowed to hold cards of that power."

"Okay...so if that is out of the question," Honda said, "then _what_ do we do?"

"We'll have to find a way to get both Mai and Anzu back, but without violence," Atem answered. "And though I do not like it...we will have to go with their negotiations. It is the safest option."

He made eye contact with me. I nodded.

"I agree. And if I'm with them, perhaps I can get more information on their plan as well as try to escape."

Everyone gave a grim look. Even though it was the last thing anyone wanted to do, it was the best option. Bakura clutched his fists, but I quickly took a hold of his hand to keep him silent. We both made eye contact for a second, a slight warm feeling going through me before I let go of his hand.

"I'll have my cell phone with me, so hopefully we can still keep in contact by texts," I said. "I'll try to tell you all that I learn while you all come up with a plan."

Atem nodded.

"We will do all we can to make sure you come back safely."

I smiled in reply.

Gekko then opened the door and I stepped out of Kaiba Corp, both of us slowly approaching Rafael. I met his cold eyes, trying to get an idea of what he may be thinking. When we came up to him, Rafael studied me for a long moment.

"It is a privilege to meet you, Roxanne," he said with a small hint of respect. "I hope what I've heard about you turns out to be true."

I narrowed my eyes but said nothing in reply. Rafael then turned his attention to Gekko.

"You are only trading the girl?"

"If you want the Egyptian God cards," Gekko growled. "You'll have to put up more of a fight."

A look of hatred glowed in his eyes.

"And if you think I will allow you to get away with this, whoever you people are, I will make you suffer personally for this."

Rafael blinked.

"I understand how you feel about losing your brother," he said with a slight hint of sympathy, "but you cannot blame us for his decision."

"How can I not blame you when you were the ones who _brainwashed_ him into believing your lies?!" Gekko demanded, struggling to keep his emotions intact.

Rafael let out a heavy sigh.

"I do not know what my master said to your brother, or what he promised him, but I can assure you it is no lie. If you were to join us, I'm sure he will grant you the same wishes as your brother."

Gekko narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not as easy to persuade. And I will make you pay for what you have done to him."

He took a step back.

"Along with kidnapping three innocent girls."

Gekko made eye contact with me. I could see the overwhelming amount of guilt and grief he had, how powerless and frustrated he felt. I wanted to say something encouraging, but I could not find the voice to say anything. I didn't even know if me sacrificing myself was even the right decision to make; how could I possibly say something to help Gekko?!

"Alister!" Rafael called out. "Bring out one of the girls!"

Coming out from the darkness, Alister came out carrying Anzu in his arms. My eyes widened, though she had no physical injuries on her, it was still horrifying to see her out cold. Gekko looked just as shocked as I was as Alister gently handed Anzu to him.

"We gave her some sleeping medication," Alister explained. "She will be fine in a few hours."

He made eye contact with me for a brief second before he came to my side, forcing me to put my hands behind my back while he held onto me like I was in handcuffs.

"We will come back another time to get the Egyptian God cards," Rafael said. "Till we meet again."

He then turned around and started to walk away.

"As long as you do as we say, nothing bad will happen to you," Alister said to me. "Now start walking."

I did as he said, hoping with all my heart that I was doing the right thing. I looked back at Gekko and Kaiba Corp.

At least the Slifer, Obelisk, and Ra were still in good hands.


	7. VII: Be Our Prisoner

As Alister lead me away from Kaiba Corp, we came to the company's parking lot where their motorcycles were waiting. There, sitting on one of the motorcycles, Valon held an unconscious Mai, seemingly bored. When he saw us coming, his expression lit up slightly.

"So they really turned her over?" he asked.

"Surprisingly," Alister replied. "I thought they would put up more of a fight, but they cooperated for the most part."

"That's because we were afraid what you would do to Mai and Anzu," I said, narrowing my eyes. "We didn't want to take the chance of you hurting them."

"...So you're the ever famous Roxanne? Just like I imagined."

I blinked, my gaze meeting Valon's.

"What do you mean by that?"

Valon smirked.

"Master Dartz spoke very highly of you, with your strong will and smart mouth. Yep, you look just like someone of your reputation would!"

I paused for a minute.

"Uh...thanks, I guess."

I looked up at Rafael.

"What's going to happen to Mai, now that you failed to trade her off?"

"She will be under our care, just like you," Rafael answered, his voice emotionless as ever. "I can assure you that you or your friend will not be mistreated. We have strict orders from Master Dartz to make sure you two are comfortable."

_Kind of hard to do while being kidnapped and imprisoned._

Though I had a feeling the only reason Dartz was doing that was to soften us, and Anzu when she was captured, up to where we would be easier to persuade into maybe joining him. He was able to do it to Mai in the anime, so why not Anzu, who would be a great weakness to the Pharaoh and Yugi? Yako would definitely approve, anything to harm the Pharaoh for leading up to Pegasus's death. But if Yako is working with Dartz...could there possibly be a change in motive, if Dartz told him who _really_ lead to Pegasus's demise?

_Oh Ra..._

Kicking myself out of my dark thoughts, Rafael got onto his motorcycle and started it up, Valon following. I felt Alister let go of my wrists and move in front of me. He took out a black cloth from his pocket.

"You'll have to be blind folded until we get you to your room on our aircraft," Alister said. "If you would put this on, I'll tie it to make sure it is tight."

I took a hold of the cloth. I found it weird how Alister was holding me hostage while also being polite to me at the same time. Was this an order from Dartz, or did he have some respect for me like Rafael? Either way, I did as he asked, turning around so that he could tighten it.

"Is this too tight for you?" Alister asked.

I shook my head, my vision now completely dark.

"No, its fine."

"Good. I'll guide you to my motorcycle and then we will be off."

"Okay."

Taking a hold of my wrist, Alister guided me to his motorcycle. Once I heard him get on, I got on behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist, making sure I had a good grip on him. Once he saw that I was safely secured, Alister started up the motorcycle and we drove off. A strong cold wind blew passed me the faster we went, forcing me to bring myself closer to him to get warm.

This moment reminded me a lot of the time I rode with Marik on his motorcycle, how my fangirl mind was thrilled that I was so close the anime character who I had such a crush on. But this was not Marik I was holding onto, and it wasn't a warehouse I was going to where I had at least some control over the situation. I was truly going to the unknown, and there was no way I had the chance to convince Dartz's three most trusted henchmen into betraying him.

The ride seemed to last for an eternity, until finally I felt the motorcycle start to slow down. Alister got off and I soon followed. I heard Rafael give the order for him and Valon to take me and Mai to our room. With the two of them guiding me, we walked down a small hallway, at least I think it was a hallway, until we came to a sudden stop and I heard a door open. I was guided into the room and I heard the door get closed behind me.

"You can take your blindfold off," Alister said. "It will be awhile before we get to our destination, so you will have time to relax."

I started to untie the blindfold, though with much difficult as he had a very tight knot.

"Are we going to Atlantis's ruins?" I asked, though I had a feeling my question wouldn't get answered. "Is that where Dartz is?"

"Well, aren't you smart!" I heard Valon exclaimed.

There was a stiff silence after that comment. I guess Alister was glaring at him to shut up. If it was under lighter circumstances, I might have laughed.

Once I finally got the blindfold off, my eyes widened, shocked to see that I was in a pretty nice bedroom. On a queen sized bed, Mai laid sound asleep with Valon at her side, Alister standing right beside me.

"You'll get a bigger room once we arrive at _our destination_." Alister made a quick glare at Valon before returning his gaze back to me. "But for now, this is the best we can do."

"And it is the best room on this freaken aircraft, so don't complain too much," Valon added.

I said nothing in reply, my eyes moving from Alister to Valon. Again, the way they were treating me from guest to prisoner was really odd. I handed the blindfold back to Alister.

"I...assume you want this back?"

He took it.

"Is there anything else you may need before we go?"

I paused for a moment.

"Um...not really. I think I'm good."

Alister nodded.

"Alright. One of us will stop by in a few hours to check up on you."

He made his way towards the door.

"Let's go, Valon."

There was a short pause. I glanced over to see Valon was still sitting next to Mai, his gray eyes having an unusual gentleness to them as he moved some stray hairs away from her face. Alister narrowed his eyes.

"_Valon_."

Hearing his name, Valon blinked and looked up at Alister.

"What? Oh, are we done here?"

He quickly got up to his feet and approached the door.

"Nice meeting you, Roxanne."

Pushing Alister out of the way, he left the room. Alister rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him, locking it as well. I let out a small sigh.

This was _definitely_ one of the longest nights of my life.

I turned to Mai, who was still sleeping like the dead. Alister had said that they had given both Mai and Anzu sleeping medication, so it didn't look like Mai was going to wake up any time soon. A small yawn escaped from my lips. I decided to have Mai keep the bed, since she was knocked out and had no idea where she was. I searched the room to see if there was something else I could sleep on. In a small closet, there was a small sleeping bag. Too tired to really care, I grabbed it and one of the extra pillows from the bed. As soon as I got myself settled in and had my head on the pillow, my eyes automatically shut, as I quickly drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


End file.
